The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Jim Henson

Writers:

Tom Patchett (written by) &
Jay Tarses (written by) ...

Release Date:

26 June 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Music

Plot:

Kermit, Gonzo and Fozzie are reporters who travel to Britain to interview a rich victim of jewel thieves and help her along with her secretary, Miss Piggy.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Muppet | Jewel Thief | Diamond | Love

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Jim Henson	...	Kermit the Frog / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / Swedish Chef / Waldorf / The Muppet Newsman / Zeke / Man having Snapshot in Restaurant (voice)
Frank Oz	...	Miss Piggy / Fozzie Bear / Animal / Sam the Eagle / Gramps / Swedish Chef (voice)
Dave Goelz	...	The Great Gonzo / Beauregard / Zoot / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Lobbuck Lou (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Floyd / Pops / Lew Zealand / Crazy Harry / Lewis Kazager (uncredited) / Slim Wilson (uncredited) / Zeke (uncredited) / CB Voice (uncredited) / Man in Park (uncredited) (voice)
Richard Hunt	...	Scooter / Statler / Sweetums / Janice / Beaker / Bubba / Monster (uncredited) / Cab Driver (uncredited) (voice)
Charles Grodin	...	Nicky Holiday
Diana Rigg	...	Lady Holiday
John Cleese	...	Neville
Robert Morley	...	British Gentleman
Peter Ustinov	...	Truck Driver
Jack Warden	...	Mr. Tarkenian the News Editor
Steve Whitmire	...	Rizzo the Rat / Lips (voice)
Louise Gold	...	Muppet Performer / Annie Sue Pig / Lou (uncredited) (voice)
Kathryn Mullen	...	Muppet Performer / Chickens / Gaffer the Cat (uncredited) (voice)
Bob Payne	...	Muppet Performer (voice)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Canada:PG | Australia:G | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Elstree Film Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Henson Associates (HA)

Trivia:

Re-released on video in 1993, with changes to the soundtrack.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Kermit jumps off the bike and is caught on a tree branch, the bike is clearly swerving and about to fall, yet in the next shot, the bike is no where to be seen lying on the ground.

Quotes:

Miss Piggy: [about Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem's playing] They don't have to play this loud.
Kermit: That's okay, they don't mind.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: The Great Money Caper (#12.7)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Couldn't we ride

THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER (Jim Henson, 1981) ***

The second theatrical outing of the popular "Muppet Show" TV characters relocates the action to London, as reporters Kermit The Frog and Fozzie Bear and photographer Gonzo are reluctantly sent by their editor Jack Warden to investigate the robbery of a famous jeweled necklace worn by unsympathetic fashion queen Diana Rigg. The culprit turns out to be her own obnoxious brother Charles Grodin and his trio of burglar-models; Grodin seems to have the hots for Miss Piggy (at one point singing his heart out to her but she puts down his effort by revealing that the actor's voice was dubbed!), a model wannabe engaged as Rigg's secretary and who ends up impersonating her boss to impress Kermit. The change in locale adds precious little to the table and, truth be told, the film tends to sag badly during its midsection (with too many schmaltzy songs for balance). However, when the film is funny, it's frequently hilarious: the in-jokey commentary by the trio of reporters accompanying the opening credits; their traveling to London in a plane's luggage compartment inside boxes denoting their species (Gonzo is a "Whatever") and their being thrown off the plane in mid-flight eventually landing at Robert Morley's feet; the eccentric and inquisitive guests at the Happiness Hotel; Miss Piggy's central musical number is an amusing pastiche of old Esther Williams aquatic routines; Miss Piggy's run-in with lorry driver Peter Ustinov (who complains, after being thrown into the garbage, that his is only a cameo), etc. Ex-Monty Python John Cleese also appears as a henpecked husband who thinks nothing of glimpsing a pig climbing the walls of his apartment building.